A lot has been written about why the Reid hire as the Chiefs new head coach made sense. Some would point to Reid being an offensive coach, and how that background could help improve an offense that has been ranked near bottom of the league the last 2 years. Also, the pass offense hasn't ranked above 25th in the league during the last 4 seasons. During Reid's tenure with the Eagles, they were always among the top 10 teams in the league in both offense and pass offense. Others would suggest Clark Hunt wanted a coach with a proven track record. This theory could also be valid since Reid took the Eagles to 5 NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. Another theory suggests that Reid's background of developing quarterbacks was a valid reason for his hire.Here are a few examples of why this theory holds true. Donovan McNabb enjoyed the best years of his career in Philly. Michael Vick put up a career best in completion percentage, touchdowns, and passing yards while in an Eagles uniform under Reid's watch. Kolb is another quarterback who only had a few starts in Philly, but was able to parlay that into a starting job and a 60 million dollar contract in Arizona. All are good points of why Reid made sense in coming to Kansas City. However, I'm here to point out a reason most media and fans may have overlooked.
Reid is a guy who is going to do things his way. He isn't a guy who will be pressured into making decisions based on national perception. When I think back to 1999, it was a time when the run game was still dominant in the NFL. At the time, a lot of fan and media pressure was for Reid to take what was thought of as the next great running back: Heisman trophy winner, Ricky Williams. Reid never wavered in his decision. In the midst of a booing fan base, he drafted Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb. It wasn't a popular choice but in the end it was the right decision. Williams went on to have a inconsistent career, while Mcnabb went on to lead Philly to 5 NFC championships games and a Super Bowl appearance.
Now with a little over 3 months left before the 2013 NFL draft, Reid faces another tough decision here in Kansas City: What to do with the #1 overall pick? A lot of national media and analysts feel that this is a weak QB class with no Quarterback being worthy of the number one overall pick. They have suggested the Chiefs should take a left tackle or defensive lineman number one overall. Well I don't feel Reid is the type of coach to be swayed by what people think on the outside, which is why this hire to the Chiefs makes sense to me. Sometimes as head coach you have to make controversial decisions (i.e., drafting a quarterback #1 overall even though the media may not feel one is worthy).The fact that Reid isn't afraid to go against the grain and draft who is best for this organization is why I favor this hire. He isn't going to be worried about criticism by the media for taking a Geno Smith #1 overall just because he's ranked 25th overall on Mel Kiper's draft board. If Reid feels Geno is the type of quarterback that can execute the West Coast offense at a high level, you can trust he is going to draft him. That is why I love the hire because over the next few months there is going be national pressure against taking a quarterback with the #1 overall pick. We needed a head coach who is going do what is best for the Chiefs regardless of public opinion. Reid fits that bill.
Follow me on twitter at pulseofdachiefs
